NYC'S MAMDANI DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM SOCIALISTS

DEMOCRATIC FRONT-RUNNER IN MAYORAL RACE FENDING OFF ATTACKS THAT LINK HIM TO SOME OF THE LEFT'S MORE RADICAL STANCES.

- STORY: JEFFREY C MAYS / NYT

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist and current front-runner in the New York City mayor's race, sought to distance himself on Thursday from the national Democratic Socialists of America platform, which includes proposals to eliminate all misdemeanour offences and to close local jails.

"My platform is not the same as national DSA," he told reporters after an unrelated event.

When asked whether he wanted to eliminate misdemeanour offences, he said "no."

"You can't find that on my platform, because it's not there," he said.

Mr Mamdani, a state Assembly member from Queens, has taken steps over the course of his campaign to moderate his image, including by making clear that while he previously expressed support for defunding the police, he has long since abandoned that stance.

But Mr Mamdani's DSA affiliation has been a popular attack line for President Donald Trump and national Republicans, who have used Mr Mamdani's political roots to depict him as the "communist" new face of the Democratic Party.

Closer to home, Mr Mamdani's opponents in the mayor's race, especially former governor Andrew Cuomo, have also sought to exploit Mr Mamdani's political origins to their advantage.